Letters of the Misconstrued
by Lord Tubbington
Summary: "So why do you care?" "…Because she's my mom." Your hands were trembling, and it was suddenly harder to breathe. You could feel their stares, almost could hear the gears shifting in their heads once they realized what your words meant. Kitty/Marley.
1. The Apology

**Author's Note: I posted this on my tumblr, but I figured I could just post it here too. Hope you guys enjoy! Feel free to review/comment, I'd love to hear your feedback!**

"So why do you care?"

"…Because she's my mom."

Your hands were trembling, and it was suddenly harder to breathe. You could feel their stares, almost could hear the gears shifting in their heads once they realized what your words meant. You look down at your plate, both ashamed and proud of yourself. You had finally stood up for the woman who cared for you most, but now you know you lost any chance at making friends. Even though you're shaky, you shut your eyes, take a breathe before resolving the conversation with a soft but firm, "I thought you guys were different."

Your eardrums were booming, blocking out any other noise. Were they calling back to you? Trying to apologize for their mistakes? It didn't matter and you knew that. They were just like everyone else. Cruel. Selfish. A bunch of hypocrites. They were supposed to be the one group of people that embraced diversity, no matter who you loved, who you admired, and especially no matter what you looked like. Guess you were wrong. Guess you were stupid to think that you had any hope at finding friends that understood.

Once you manage to rush out of the cafeteria, your food tray somewhere dropped between the table you had been sitting at and the door, you find yourself in the bathroom. You practically run inside a stall, shut and lock the door behind you. Deep breaths. Deep breaths. Your chest was constricting and you knew if you didn't settle down fast, you'd have a panic attack.

"Marley?…"

You inhale sharply, covering your mouth with your hand and backing as far away from the stall door as you can. You didn't want to confront whoever was out there. You didn't want.. or need their pity. You just wanted to be left alone.

"Marley. I know you're in there. Just… just open the door already."

You hesitate again, jumping slightly at the sudden knock on your stall.

"Open. Up."

By now, your breathing's gotten under control but you know you must look an awful mess.. you always do when you start panicking. Slowly, you step forward, unlocking the door then pulling it open. "…Kitty?"

Sure enough, there was the head cheerleader herself standing there, arms crossed, a stern expression on her face, but you swear you see sympathy lingering in her eyes. "Yeah. Kitty. I didn't come to apologize or anything. I just wanted to make sure you…" There was some hesitation. "You knew you were no longer allowed to sit at our table for lunch. I can't have my reputation trashed any further by being seen with the cafeteria lady's daughter."

You keep your lips sealed, not daring to point out that her somewhat.. threat wasn't as menacing as usual. Her voice was softer… had she been worried? You look into the cheerleader's eyes, hugging yourself with your arms. "O-okay… thanks?" Were you supposed to thank someone for a rejection memo? You didn't know. This school was… so confusing with their social hierarchy.

"Hmph." Kitty rolled her eyes, shaking her head. She probably thought you were an idiot. "Also.. this didn't happen. Got it, hairnet?"

You nod quickly, running a hand through your hair. What else are you supposed to say? Kitty obviously wanted the last word. So you decide to quietly watch her leave, trying not to let your eyes linger on the way her skirt moves with each swish of her hips. Once the blonde cheerleader left the bathroom, leaving you alone, you notice it. A small bit of paper, folded up rather neatly. You think Kitty must have dropped it by accident. You leave the safety of your stall, stooping down just enough to grab the paper. It wasn't time to be nosy, but you couldn't help yourself. You unfold the paper, staring at what was written down.

'I'm sorry.'

It had to be Kitty's handwriting, after all, who else would turn their y's into cute hearts? You brush over the words with your thumb, unsure if Kitty meant to drop this or if it was even for you. Something told you it was, that it was the only way for the HBIC to be able to apologize. It wasn't much, but you were grateful beyond belief. Maybe William McKinley wasn't going to be completely terrible after all. You smile just a bit, tucking the slip of paper into your pants' pocket before heading out into the busy hallway with just enough confidence to get you through the rest of the school day.


	2. The Slushie

**Author's Note: Several of you on tumblr and on here have said you'd like me to continue this so... instead of doing my homework, I brought you guys another chapter lol Hope you enjoy this as well as the first! Feel free to review/comment, I love hearing your feedback and I'll respond to them individually at the end of the chapter. Also, if you have any ideas/suggestions on what I should write about next, that'd be helpful too! (:**

You weren't expecting it. Come to think of it, who would ever expect it? You stand still, shivering next to your locker. This was only your second slushie to the face, but you could already tell you wouldn't grow to like them. You sigh gently, hugging your backpack straps to your stained chest. Great. Just great. Someone's laughing their head off, but you don't have the heart to glare up at your antagonist. You had three guesses who it could be, and even if your guesses were wrong, you weren't going to let them see how much you wanted to cry. This wasn't how high school was supposed to be. You were supposed to have friends, you were supposed to have a great time at lunch.. not lose friends for defending your mom or being slushied because you don't meet the criteria of being cool.

Without another word, you leave the scene of the crime to head to your safe haven, the girls' bathroom. You didn't know what you were going to do. You didn't have any extra clothes, but you didn't want to attend class sticky either. You prayed the sink would wash out most of the frozen treat from your shirt and wouldn't stain as badly as you knew it would. You turn the faucet on, looking up at the mirror as you waited for the water to turn warmer. What had you really done to deserve this? You hadn't insulted anyone. You hadn't put your foot where it shouldn't be. All you did was defend your mom. You sighed again, knowing full well that was part of the reason you were being bullied. It was ridiculous and petty of them. "Don't cry, Marley. Don't cry." You chant that softly to yourself as you stretch out a bit of your shirt for the water to run through it. Most of the red dye was coming out, but it was leaving your white tee an odd shade of pink. You wrinkle your nose, not particularly fond of that shade, but it'd have to do.

"I told him to back off! What's the point of me being the head bitch around here if none of you imbeciles listen!?"

Your eyes grow wide and you shift a little, making sure your back is facing the last person you wanted to encounter.

"But Ki-"

"No! No 'but Kitty's'! Remind that asshole, Lipof, who exactly runs this school. He slushies who I say to slushie and that's final!"

"Yes, Kitty. I'll uh.. I'll go tell him right away."

You can't help but feel sorry for the girl, but then you remember whose side she's on. Should you turn around? Maybe question Kitty what exactly did she mean by all of that? There were a million and one things you could've said, but instead you choose to simply say, "You don't have to be so mean to her.."

You didn't need to look behind you to know Kitty was shocked if not startled to see you standing there. "How much of that did you hear, Tuesday Special?"

"Everything.. but still.. you don't have to be so mean to her."

"And why exactly does it matter to you how I treat her? You should be wanting anyone in a cheerleader uniform to suffer."

You shake your head, turning off the sink before facing the head cheerleader. "Well, she didn't throw the slushie.. so I really don't have any reason to be mad at her. And she just wants to be your friend... I think. Regardless, you don't have to be so mean."

Kitty narrowed her eyes at you for a moment. Was she deciding how long it would take to dunk your head in the toilet? Or worse, was she planning to have a barrage of slushies thrown your way later? "What's with you and this nice act? No one cares if you hate us. Hell, I wouldn't be surprised if you have voodoo dolls with our names on it."

What? How did you go from slushies to voodoo dolls? You knit your eyebrows together before shaking your head slowly. "Uh.. it's not an act. I'm mad... and disappointed that you guys would make fun of my mom, but there isn't much I can do about it. Anyways, the... voodoo doll thing sounds a bit scary."

The cheerleader keeps staring at you, like she'd eventually be able to see through your so-called act and spot the real you. You hated to break it to her, but this was all she was going to get. "Whatever. Not that this ever happened.. but take off your shirt."

"E-excuse me?..." You've been asked some weird things before but never has a girl, especially not one like Kitty, ordered you to take your shirt off. You feel yourself fidgeting. Why on Earth would she want you topless?

"Quit acting like I just asked you to murder a goat. I'm trying to help you out here. Unless you'd rather walk around all day with a huge pink stain on your shirt that looks remotely like vomit."

"I'd rather not look like that..."

"Then take off your shirt. Here." She dug into the duffel bag you hadn't noticed before and tossed you a red shirt with the school's letters across it. "Wear this for now and I'll wash your shirt for you."

You want to trust her, but you're so self conscious, you were trying to find any reason to not do this.

"Fine. Hand me back my shirt and don't ever think about whining that I never tried to be remotely civil toward you and your lunch lady genes." Kitty held her hand out, waiting for you to place her shirt back into her possession.

"Okay.. okay. Hold on." You feel your cheeks flush as you turn back around, your back facing Kitty, before you pull off your slushie soaked shirt. You swear you can feel her eyes on your exposed back and bra. You silently thank whatever deity was up there that you had chosen to wear a cute bra that day. You then hold the shirt behind you until you feel her snatch it out of your grasp. Only then did you grab the shirt she was lending you and pull it over your head. You inhaled gently, deciding that you enjoyed the distinctive smell of Kitty. It smelled strongly of black raspberries and vanilla, a scent that was quickly becoming one of your favorites. The shirt fit you okay. The bottom hem was barely reaching the top of your shorts, but you'd just have to remember to be careful about raising your arms up. "Thanks..."

"Don't mention it... seriously. Don't you dare mention this to anyone." You nod as she wraps your soiled shirt in paper towels and puts it back into her bag. "When I leave, count down from twenty then you can go. I don't have the energy to explain to everyone why I wasn't in here beating you up." And then she left.

You stare back down at the shirt, your smile growing a little wider. Kitty was definitely a nicer person than people gave her credit for. Once again, you leave the bathroom feeling a bit better about your day even if you had hoped for another note of some kind.

Surprisingly, you got your wish later that day. The last bell had rung and you were at your locker to grab the last of your books for homework that night when you saw your shirt, newly clean and stain-free, folded neatly on top of your stack of books. You smile as you see a bit of ripped paper lying on top. You know now for sure that it's Kitty's handwriting.

'Thought you'd like this back.'

And just like before, Kitty had managed to loop the end of the last letter into a cute heart. You smile automatically, your thumb brushing over the tiny but effective heart. If only you had looked harder, you would've noticed the continuation of the note on the back of the paper. If you hadn't been so oblivious, you would've seen a carefully and perfectly written message, 'By the way, you look cute in red.' If only you paid more attention. Instead, you stuff your books into your backpack, grab your shirt and place the note carefully into the front pocket of your shorts. You then shut your locker before heading down the hallway toward the cafeteria where your mother was waiting for you. You were too content in your own world to notice a particular cheerleader watching you from across the hall with a smile on her lips.

**Author's Note: Again, hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. At the end of the chapters, I'm going to individually reply to your comments because if you can take the time and effort to write a review, I can do the same and personally thank you for your efforts (:**

**pot-o-crazy: Thank you! I'm glad you really seemed to like it. Hopefully, you'll enjoy the future chapters as well!**

**bribedherwithdots: I hope this met your expectations! If not, I'm terribly sorry lol**

**Fab: Don't worry, it will be continued!**

**Bleach-Glee-Lover: Thank you! I'm definitely hoping I can continue writing for this ship. I'm already hooked :P**

**Semixtina: I'm very flattered by your comment! I'm glad I also got you interested in the Karley/Mitty ship! Continue to love this couple and they will continue to love you lol **

**Danae Endemyon: Thank you, I'm going to try and post these chapters not too far apart from each other.**

**Thanks again for all that have reviewed, I appreciate it greatly!**


	3. The Jacket

**Author's Note: So wow. I was not expecting this many people to review/favorite/follow this story! I'm so glad you guys are enjoying reading this as much as I'm enjoying writing this. I honestly appreciate each and everyone of you for taking the time to read this. It took me a bit longer to write this chapter for some reason ...it was probably the bit of Jarley in the beginning but don't fret! This is still a Karley/Mitty fic. Feel free to review/comment because it's your words of encouragement that keep me writing. Without further ado, enjoy! (:**

It was stupid of you to accept his jacket. Of course, at the time, it seemed like a good idea because you hadn't been lying, the weather had gotten chillier. The jacket was warm and the leather was soft to the touch, hinting that Jake must have worn it a lot. He was being extra sweet and maybe that's why you took his intentions so wrongly. After all, you'd never expect some boy to be into you especially not after the revealing of your true identity. So maybe you got a little lovesick over the angsty Puckerman. Wouldn't anyone? He smiled at you, made you feel welcome, and had offered the jacket he was almost never seen without. It was better than being ignored for three straight days, six hours, and twenty two minutes. Not that you had been counting or anything. It just didn't make sense. How could someone go from being extra sweet to completely emotionless? You shouldn't expect much out of her though. She was, after all, the head cheerleader, and you were just the cafeteria lady's daughter. The social hierarchy just didn't work that way, but still you had been wanting something.. anything. Something as small as a note would have sufficed. But that didn't happen.

Instead, you were talking to Jake in the hallway. You smiled at him, suddenly remembering in the midst of your conversation that you still had his jacket. "I just realized, I'm still wearing your jacket." You laugh lightly, tugging the jacket a little closer to your chest.

"Looks pretty good on you."

Your cheeks heat up slightly. Sure, your feelings for him are stemmed on the sole fact that the one person you want interested in you is ignoring you but that was besides the point. You open your lips to thank him for the compliment but you're cut off by none other than the head cheerleader herself.

"I bet it looks better on me." You keep your mouth shut, mostly because you'd have to agree with that statement. She'd look better in just about anything. You try and keep your eyes down cast and not staring at her. You're afraid if you look into her eyes, she'll notice the weird pining feelings you've been having about her. "We're dating now. Didn't Jake tell you?"

Had your heart just stopped? They were dating? You glance over at Jake who looks guilty. Of course. This would happen to you. You have to force out the words, "No, he didn't." And you were this close to pointing out that she hadn't told you either, that she gave no indication that she had even been interested in Jake. You thought ... never mind. You were so caught up in your thoughts, you didn't hear whatever Jake had mumbled. You give him a smile, your gaze flitting toward Kitty for a moment. "You two make a great couple." You hand Kitty the jacket that had once kept you so warm but had left you burned. This was humiliating, way worse than having a slushie thrown in your face.

Without another word, you stalk off, your heart pounding in your chest. Why did she have to do this? Why did she have to make you feel wanted and cared about then throw it back in your face? In the back of your head, you knew you were overreacting. She had sent two notes. Two simple notes. There had been no sign that Kitty was attracted to you. It had all become just a figment of your imagination combined by the hearts that always ended a note. You needed to get yourself together. There was no reason to be this emotional over a jacket.

The rest of the day went by in a blur. You hardly remember math class let alone glee club. You vaguely recall Sam coming up to you and mentioning something about some type of convention involving superheroes, but even that could've just been you daydreaming. You were trying to figure out where you went wrong. It hit you suddenly. The were numerous times you could've replied to Kitty's notes, yet you never thought to write her back. You never thought to let her know you got them and that you appreciated her. So maybe that's what this whole Jake business was all about. Yeah. That sounded like it could happen.

You're nodding your head, finally deciding Kitty's reasoning for the jealousy act, when you run into someone. "O-oh. I'm so sorry."

"Why is it that whenever someone bumps into me, it's always you, Mystery Meat?"

And why was it whenever you did bump into someone, it always turned out to be Kitty? You force a small smile, gripping your backpack strap a little tighter. "I uh.. I guess I'm just always in your way. Sorry." You sigh softly, looking down at your feet. You mutter a gentle "Excuse me" as you walk around her, catching the faint but distinct black raspberry and vanilla scent again. You close your eyes slowly, remembering how just the other day the shirt you had borrowed from her had smelled exactly the same. You hadn't realized you had stopped walking until her voice cracked through your train of thought.

"If you're going to say something other than sorry, say it now, Hairnet. I don't have all day to wait around for you to think of some brilliant comeback."

Your shoulders sag a little before you glance over your shoulder. "I was just..." You take a good look at Kitty. You note her shoulders, so slender but strong or the way her hair is the perfect shade of blonde and is curled at the end. The longer you stare, the more you find yourself admiring every physical trait of hers. You wonder if her eyes had always been that shade of hazel with flecks of gold.

"You were just ...what?"

Oh, right. You had been going to say something. You motion to the leather jacket that was so conveniently resting on her shoulders. "Was just going to say that you do look better in that jacket."

Kitty smirked at you. "It's nice to know you can recognize actual beauty when you see it. Told you I was right. I look better in everything. Just remember, next time you're cold.. find someone else's boyfriend to steal jackets from."

You nod. You've learned already to just let Kitty have the last word. You could tell by the glints in her eyes that she was always so pleased to leave someone speechless. Once again, you turn back around to walk away.

"Oh, and TJ Maxx? You might want to check your locker. I hear some of the football players have been leaving some ...surprises, I guess you could say. Cripples McWheels had his locker filled with Jell-o. So, watch out."

You had stopped in your tracks. Were you frightened? A little. No one had messed with your locker before. The teasing/bullying was always sent directly to you. You suddenly break out into a sprint back down the hallway toward your locker. You were breathing hard and shaking with nerves. What would they have done? Fill the thing up with that day's lunch? Or maybe they had just destroyed your notebooks. Whatever it was, as long as it didn't involve your mother, you'd be okay. You take a deep breath before reaching out to quickly dial your code. You force yourself to exhale before tugging on the lock then opening your locker slowly.

Nothing was out of place. Your books were still stacked neatly against each other. The little dry erase board was still hanging on the inside of the door except.. instead of the 'i 3 mom' note you had scrawled on there the first day of school, it was replaced with a very familiar heart. You smile slowly before looking back into your locker, shifting your books around a bit when you notice it. It looked like a shirt. But Kitty had already sent that back to you. You reach into the back of your locker, grabbing whatever it was, your eyebrows rising as it unfolds into a jacket. It was a pretty cute jacket and it looked expensive. It looked similar to Jake's, with its worn leather. You lift the jacket to your nose, grinning as the cheerleader's scent seemed to have ingrained itself into the leather. Normally, you weren't into accepting gifts like this but how would you be able to give it back without her noticing? You drop your backpack to the ground so you can slide the jacket on. It fit almost perfectly. You hadn't realized the two of you were so close in build, but you were grateful that you were. When you reached down to grab your backpack again, you hear something rustle against your shirt. You open the jacket, seeing the slip of paper carefully folded into the inseam pocket. You don't waste a minute as you pull it out and unfold it.

In Kitty's handwriting, it read simply, 'So you'll quit whining about the weather.' You laugh lightly, thinking Kitty had an awfully ...cute way of solving your problems. You tuck the note into the side pocket of the jacket, knitting your eyebrows as your fingers hit another bit of paper. More notes? You pull that one out. 'By the way, I was wrong. You did look better in his jacket.'

You felt fluttering in your chest by her simple words. You still didn't understand why you cared so much about what she thought about you. So what if she thought you looked good in a jacket? You could've continued to live your life without that compliment. But you knew it mattered. You cared what she thought, you worried over what she thought. So it made total sense to finally rip out a sheet of note book paper and write a note to Kitty.

It took you longer than you had thought to write the note. Was it always this difficult to write to someone? You wanted to let her know that she had been right, that you appreciated the jacket, and that she had succeeded in stopping you from whining about the weather. You chewed gently on the back of your pen before scrawling, 'Thank you' and ending the note with an adorable picture of a cat. You should've written more but how do you express gratitude without becoming redundant? Maybe the next time a note came around, you could figure out more to write, but for now, it would be a simple thank you.

You walk across the hall to locker 213 before sliding the note through the slots in the locker. Kitty would find it some time early in the morning. Hopefully, she'd appreciate the small gesture just as much as you had the first time you got a note. As you head down to the cafeteria to meet up with your mom, you can't help but wonder if you and Kitty will share more notes together in the future.

**Author's Note: Thanks again for reading this! I was just curious, but is there anything in particular any of you would like to see happen? Or are you guys okay with me just coming up with it off the top of my head/basing it on an episode?**

**pot-o-crazy: Thank you so much! I'm glad you're really starting to enjoy this fic. And it's okay, I would much rather write this all night than do homework :P**

**monkophile: Thank you! (:**

**mel-kung: Thank you! Don't worry, the notes will definitely be in this fic!**

**Do vd Graaf: I'll try to update as soon and as often as possible, promise!**

**Danae Endemyon: Glad you enjoyed it!**

**Dragonryder94: I secretly agree lol They are the new faberry! Thank you! **

**I Love Santana: Aww thank you! P.S. I adore your screenname lol I love her too (:**

**lemonfiz1: There will be, don't worry!**

**Semixtina: I'm glad I got you to like someone you didn't originally plan to! Are you kidding? lol That was one of the best reviews I've gotten! Thank you! You definitely didn't go out empty handed, it was the perfect review lol**

**DAgron01: Thank you (: That's what I was hoping to do. I guess I have a soft spot for undeveloped characters lol**

**AsGayAsQueerios: Awesome! Welcome to the Karley ship! Thank you! I'm trying my hardest to give the characters justice (:**

**PennyLane93: (:**

**TieMeDownToYourS: Thank you! Hopefully, I'll take it to a good place lol**

**Dawnofdark: Thank you! (:**

**Wandering Violinist: Thank you so much! **

**Bleach-Glee-Lover: There'll be more!**

**Dante: Marley is incredibly shippable! (though I can only ship her with Kitty lol) Kitty does really need a last name, I wish they'd just say what it is already lol Nope! We've already started a small fandom! You should check tumblr too, there are quite a few other Karley/Mitty fics there to read as well! And thank you!**

**inosabia: Glad to welcome someone else on the Karley ship! You should read them all! Everyone has such good stories out already lol**

**meri1984: Thank you! **

**hockeychic1991: Aww, thanks! That's secretly my goal with this fic lol to get everyone to love Kitty! Not enough people do :P**

**Stefi Delly: Oh, wow! This an amazing review, thank you! I definitely wanted to try writing in second person so I'm really excited that people are liking it a lot! I guess I'm just one of those people that likes the romance to be drawn out because I think the first kiss/first date, etc. will always be that much sweeter. Yay! They made someone's headcanon, perfect! I will try to keep my story as intriguing as possible (:**

**juliles: Thanks! (:**

**bribedherwithdots: Oh, good! I'm glad someone else liked that lol We'll see how well the future goes lol**


	4. The Election

**Author's Note: Okay, sorry guys! I meant to update last week since I'm trying to keep the chapters going up as the episodes of Glee pass, but school got in the way, unfortunately. Also, it kind of took me awhile to write this chapter. And I'll admit.. this one isn't one of my favorites, but I told myself I'd upload this, regardless. So I hope you guys enjoy this... kind of mess of a chapter. Don't worry, there will be much more Karley interaction in the next chapter. Enjoy! And please feel free to review/comment and tell me how horrible this chapter was lol **

It was evident that school elections were going on. The hallways were covered in colorful posters with tacky catchphrases and there was an almost obnoxious amount of streamers hanging from the ceiling. You've always found it so amusing to find out what phrases people would use for their campaigns. You catch yourself giggling at the poster Stoner Brett had put up. "Vote Stoner Brett. He likes cake!" Brett was such a free spirit, you wished Mr. Schue had allowed him into glee club. The group could really use someone as creative as him. You continue staring at the poster, a familiar feeling stirring inside of you. You always wanted to attempt running for a class office, but you never bothered trying. Why? That's simple. No one wanted to vote for the cafeteria lady's daughter, especially if they spent most of their day ridiculing said cafeteria lady. You chew on your bottom lip, contemplating the idea. You had friends now so it wasn't like you'd fail miserably at the election. You'd have at least votes from Jake and possibly Kitty if you asked. Your cheeks suddenly warmed in embarrassment. Why did you think it would be so easy to get Kitty's vote? Like all you had to do was snap your fingers and she'd do anything you'd ask. You weren't really sure why you were so confident in the fact that the cheerleader would succumb to your wishes, but a small part of you liked that idea. With one last glance at Stoner Brett's poster, you decided that you, Marley Alaine Rose would run for sophomore class ...something. You turn and skip off to lunch, hoping to bump into Unique for some poster help.

It wasn't too long before you found her at her locker, admiring the new angle of her hair. "Uh.. hi Unique! I was just thinking.. we're pretty decent friends.. right?"

Unique flipped her hair one last time, tilting her head to the side, looking at you from the mirror in her locker. "I suppose so. I still think of you as competition BUT for now, consider us friends. So what do you need from Unique, Miss Marley Rose?"

You chuckle softly, awkwardly shifting from one foot to another as you stare at the ground. "How are you sure that I need something from you?"

Unique rose an eyebrow, finally turning around to face you. "Because you're doing that weird ...shy people dance, like you have something to say but can't quite spit it out." She rested a hand lightly on your shoulder. "Look, if it's about what I told you about Jake, I'm sorry, girl. I just don't want you hurt ...even if he is a tall cup of mocha goodness." She licked her lips, suddenly staring off into Jakeland.

Your ears were tinged in pink. How could you tell her that you were over that and were fixated on someone new? "Nonono.. don't worry about it. Seriously. I totally pushed that water under the bridge. But you were right.. I have a favor. Do you think.. you'd like to help me make some posters for the underclassmen elections?" You could tell by the look on Unique's face, she wasn't going to say yes. "I was just going to ask because you have a fantastic sense of style and I want my posters to be noticed."

That seemed to do the trick. Unique grinned, clapping her hands together and all but jumped up and down in thrill. "You picked the right coordinator! Okay, after glee club today, I promise I'll have a mountain of ideas, color schemes, and" She suddenly snapped her fingers, "everything else to get people to notice you." She poked you lightly in the chest before running off to class. You could hear her muttering things about "shades of pink" and "handing out roses."

"That went well." You smiled to yourself before closing Unique's locker and heading to math. You had a good feeling about all of this.

You took a step back from the wall across from the lockers, nodding as your poster came into view. It was definitely a smart move to ask Unique to help you out. The posters weren't obnoxiously big, it was colored with the perfect blend of pink and William McKinley red, and you had to say, your catchphrase was kind of clever. "Put these elections to a close, vote Marley Rose!" And of course, underneath the bold lettering, written neatly was 'for sophomore class treasurer.' Becoming a treasurer would be perfect. You'd be in office, you'd have a job that you could do well, but it wasn't such a significant job that people would be looking up to you as an example. No one ever remembered the treasurer and you were perfectly fine with that. Content with the way your campaign for office would go, you head to your locker to grab a few things before the bell for class would ring. You were shuffling around in your locker, trying to find your biology notebook, when you heard him.

"Put these elections to a close.. vote Marley Rose.. Who's Marley Rose? And please tell me she doesn't think these posters will actually win her anything."

You were never confrontational, but you were proud of your work. So you clear your throat, "I'm... that's me.. I'm Marley Rose. And if you don't like my posters... you don't have to look at them." Your chest swelled a little, mostly due to the adrenaline coursing through your veins.

The jock smirked, smacking his buddy in the chest playfully. "Dude.. you know who that is?..."

Your heart immediately sank.

"That's Noah's Arc's daughter. You know.. the big ass boat that we all ride when there's a flood." The two jocks break out into thunderous laughter, honestly going into hysterics over the cruel joke.

You were so brave a second ago, but now you're trembling, your eyes starting to fill with tears. "T-that's.. that's not nice." Your words come out in a sort of choke, mostly because it feels like your throat's closing in. Did they honestly always have to jump to such rude measures?

"Oh, it's not nice. Better watch out, Lipoff! I'd hate for her to call her wooly mammoth of a mother to come sit on you!" Again, their laughter stayed loud, echoing off the hallway and lockers and pounding into your ears. But what changed everything was the drawing. As the two jocks were killing themselves with laughter, a third jock friend of theirs was drawing on your poster. At first, it was hard to tell what he was drawing but the longer you stared, the more you realized what it was. He had drawn an obscene cartoon version of your mother, and that's what really broke you down.

You couldn't take this, couldn't take it all. You run down the hallway, trying to find some form of sanctuary. And as you run, you tear down every single poster that was yours. You tore them down, ripped them up, you did anything you could to make sure they couldn't vandalize your life for the school to see anymore. You continued running though, obviously not paying attention otherwise you wouldn't have collided with someone's arm spilling their books to the ground. "I-...I'm so sorry.. I.."

"...Marley?"

You wipe your eyes with the sleeves of your sweater. "K-kitty?.." Even in your distraught state, you could tell this would be an awkward encounter.

"What's.." Kitty started to say, but you shook your head. She huffed, folding her arms across her chest. Her eyes narrowed, not angrily, but like she was thinking ..or conflicting with some part of herself.

You force a smile though, shaking your head as you start heading back in the direction you had been going. "I'll see you later." What was the point in saying that? When would you ever see Kitty later?

You had made yourself sick, your stomach crying out as you dry heaved one last time. Cold sweat matted some of your hair down to your forehead, but you really didn't care. It was hard dealing with such cruelty to your mother especially when you couldn't fight back. You blamed yourself for all of this. You could've said more, done more, but you just sat there and let them call your mom the worst names. You let them ridicule your life. This was all your fault. You should've just never run for office. What in the world had you been thinking? You sniffle gently, wiping the back of your wrist just under your nose before you got up from the bathroom floor. You would've stayed in the bathroom the rest of the day, but you were feeling really woozy. Apparently, you were too woozy. One minute, you were on your feet, reaching out to grasp the door handle and the next, you were on your back with a killer headache.

You shut your eyes tightly, trying to will away the headache, but it wasn't going away. You whined softly as you tried sitting up but a firm grasp on your arm held you down.

"Calm down.. you took a serious fall."

You recognized that voice. It was familiar yet foreign at the same time. You opened your mouth to ask about what fall they were talking about, but all that slipped from your lips was a groan of pain.

"Marley.. stop moving. You'll only make it worse." The voice was still soothing you but not as much as the cool fingertips currently running through your hair. "Just rest, please."

You would nod, but you feel like if you dared even think about nodding, your head would explode. So you do as the voice instructed, calming down and relaxing enough to fall asleep.

Later on, when you finally woke up, you feel a lot better, still sick, but better. You sit up slowly, groaning unpleasantly. "God.. my head hurts so badly." You rub your forehead gently.

"Here, take this and drink some water."

You knit your eyebrows together as you look up. "Oh.. uh, okay. Thanks."

The school nurse nodded before disappearing back around the corner. You take the two Advil, popping them quickly into your mouth and following it by a swig of water. You couldn't really remember how exactly you got to the nurse's office, but you'd have to settle without that bit of knowledge. You take a deep breath, trying to suppress thoughts of what caused this major turn in events. The last thing you wanted was to fall into another panic attack at school.

Just as you were about to lay back down, the nurse came back, smiling from ear to ear with a rose in her hand. "This was left for you. I found it on my desk so I'm not sure who it's from." She handed you the flower, which you took cautiously.

You give the nurse a weak smile, wait until she's left you alone, before you unravel the strip of paper that had been wrapped around the flower's stem. When you unfold the note, you break out into a big grin.

'Just to let you know, you have my vote.' And just beneath that, 'You have some explaining to do, missy.' You just happened to flip the bit of paper over and that's when your heart stopped. She had crossed it out, but you could still make out the words, 'I'm worried. Please get better.'

You grasp your bottom lip with your teeth, reading and re-reading Kitty's words again. You press the note to your chest, imagining the cheerleader speaking those words to you. She cared. You lay back down, nuzzling into the pillow and making sure to keep the note and rose as close to you as possible. Despite all the hassle of the day, the tears and vomit, you were glad your school day would, at least, end on a happier note. You silently promised Kitty that everything would be explained soon, that there was no need for her to worry over you, that you weren't sure you'd still run for treasurer anymore, and that you wish she could run her fingers through your hair all day long.

**Author's Note: Yeah.. it wasn't that great, was it? I didn't think so either. Also, I meant to apologize for how repetitive this story sometimes gets. No one's complained yet, which is great, but I don't want you guys thinking the entire story is Marley running away from her conflicts. Either way, please review or even suggest some ideas because obviously, my ideas are going down the drain lol.**

**Dragonryder94: Thank you so much! I'm a sucker for a really slow build up so trust me, it'll be awhile before the 'I love you's are exchanged. I totally understand! Coming to terms with sexuality isn't something you just wake up with. Even the people that say they can just come out like that, I think have some sort of doubt.**

**inosabia: That's really sweet (: That really makes me smile that you like my style. I really appreciate it! :D**

**Stefi Delly: Thank you, thank you! I hope this wasn't too disappointing lol**

**bribedherwithdots: That's one of the highest compliments I've gotten! The birth giver of a Karley fic. I hope I get to keep that title after this cruddy chapter though ):**

**DAgron01: Oh wow, thank you! I agree, I definitely thought it was so random for them to get together and their break up was random too. Sorry, you won't be able to see Kitty's reply until the next chapter! Hopefully, this chapter's note will suffice for now though.**

**pot-o-crazy: Thank you! (:**

**Angi: Aww thank you! I hope you continue to love them!**

**AussieGamerChick: Thank you!**

**Semixtina: Am I? lol I don't think I'm cute at all! I totally get it, you kinda maybe liked the chapter. I hope this chapter wasn't too... far off from what you liked about the other chapters. Annnd depending on if I do a different story when they're older, brown haired, blue eyed babies are a high possibility! I promise I'll be continuing! I promise!**

**Uk-Gleek: Thanks :D**

**Do vd Graaf: I will! I'm actually hoping to update again this weekend with the next chapter!**

**Ridderres: It'll definitely become a ship soon, I promise! Thanks so much for the compliments! I really appreciate all of them. And surprisingly, I have no idea where I'm taking this other than they'll become girlfriends at some point lol I'm kind of just using the cards the show's dealing to me and working around that. **

**Thanks again everyone (:**

**Guest: I just took the eye color description from Glee Wiki, it says she has hazel eyes so I couldn't really help that part lol I'm not sure! There might be, I guess we'll find out! **


	5. The Heart Break

**Author's Note: Okay, first off, THANK YOU guys for sticking with my story and reviewing (I'm up to 80 reviews!) and everything. I sincerely apologize for the lack of updates. I had to juggle life, meaning five finals at school and adjusting to my new job. Luckily though, I am on vacation for about another week and I'm hoping I can spit out another chapter after this. Again, just thank you guys for supporting my story. I love every single one of you for taking time out to read this. And, finally, without further adieu, chapter five. Please feel free to review/comment.**

"Yeah, well I'll take my chances. We're done."

"You did this." Kitty turned to throw a glare your way.

You stared, a bit wide eyed and completely confused. Things were happening too fast for your brain to comprehend it. You did what exactly? You looked toward Jake, noting his grimace of embarrassment. Oh, you understood. You somehow, in some weird alternate universe, had the ability to break up Kitty and Jake by having a conversation with him. You mentally blamed the lockers for suspiciously always being there when bad and weird things happened to you.

"Well, you're both going to regret this turn of events because I will tell you one more thing: Obama's gonna lose." Kitty hissed out her threat, fumbled out of Jake's beloved leather jacket before shoving it into his arms.

What? You knitted your eyebrows together, even more confused than you were a second ago. What exactly did Obama have to do with Jake breaking up with her? Maybe she meant it as a racist comment... but you chose to believe it was a self defense mechanism. You saw that look before, when someone's unsure of how to react so they push everyone away the best way they know how. And in Kitty's case, it was insulting people. You watched her shove some girl into the wall before grunting down the hall. She seemed really pissed, but the sensitive side of you wondered if maybe she needed your help this time. You frowned a moment, conflicted until you remembered who you were standing in front of. "Thank you.. you didn't have to do that." You made sure you sounded grateful, but really you were wishing he hadn't done what he did. If he would have just stayed with her, you wouldn't have the urge to follow her and make sure she was okay.

"Actually, I think I did." Jake gave you a smile that was riddled with relief. It was obvious a relationship with Kitty involved a lot more claws than it did purrs. You felt a tad bit sorry for him. He was a good guy.. but Kitty was also a great girl, once you got past all the insults, the verbal jabs, and retractable claws that is.

There was a moment of silence between the two of you so you wracked your brain for something to say. "Hey! Uh.. I was wondering, did you want to go over some sheet music for Grease? I was going to try out for Sandra Dee and I think you'd make a really good Da-"

"Actually..I uh gotta go. But I'll see you in glee club later?" He turned on his heels and left you standing by the lockers.

You hugged your binder closer to your chest. Had you said something wrong? You weren't wrong in thinking he'd make a great Danny Zuko. He had the attitude, the girls loved him (kinda), and he had the signature leather jacket. He'd be perfect, but maybe he wasn't ready for the spotlight. Not that you were either, but you loved to perform and playing Sandra Dee was your dream. You smiled to yourself as you leaned up against the lockers, remembering the nights you would do the infamous 'You're the One That I Want' dance with your kitten. Kitten. Kitty. You nearly forgot!

You stumbled off in the direction you remembered her going, leaving those wretched lockers behind and hoping you weren't too late. You were positive she wouldn't do anything too crazy, at least not as crazy as that Left Behind club she commanded. You were starting to lose hope as you saw no sign of Kitty anywhere, but then you heard the sniffles. They were loud and a tad obnoxious, but that just made your heart ache with more sympathy towards the cheerleader. You took a deep breath, realizing as you approached closer to the source of the sniffling that you had no plan. What did you say to a girl that just got her heart broken? Sorry? I send my condolences for your loss? You were never good at this sort of thing, but you kept reminding yourself in Kitty's crazy universe, you were technically the reason this all happened which meant it was your duty to set things right.

She was sitting in one of the classrooms you've never seen been used. You leaned against the door frame, standing quietly. You watched her shoulders shake and the sniffles transform into hiccups and sharp inhales. Even if she had been wrong, you felt like you had done this. That your conversations with Jake had driven them apart when all you had been trying to do was become better friends with the resident badass. Okay, and you kind of had a thing for him too and his leather jacket. You shook your head. Now wasn't the time to dwell on Jake.

"Why? Why did he have to do that?... I thought.. Ugh! Now she's going to think I'm some sort of idiot.."

You weren't entirely sure who /she/ was, but you chose to ignore that bit and try and comfort her. You cleared your throat, hesitating as Kitty whipped around from where she had been sitting on the abandoned desk. "H-hey. I uh.. I saw you run off so.."

"So you thought you'd come see me in distress? See me freaking out? Well, you got what you wanted! Now go!" Kitty stood up, her tears staining her cheeks. She angrily strode over to you, placing her hands on your shoulders and shoving. "Just go, Mystery Meat! Just freaking.. go." She dropped her hands, her head hung low.

You weren't sure what to do. It was obvious she was upset, devastated even. You frowned before reaching out, hesitantly resting your hand on her shoulder. "Kitty.. I didn't come here to see you like this.. I uh.." You blushed a bit, embarrassed at how caring you are to people you hardly knew past a few notes. "I just wanted to make sure you were okay. You ran off pretty fast.. you looked hurt."

"So.. why do you care?"

You looked into Kitty's hazel eyes, once again hesitating. Deja vu was settling in. She had asked that same question to you the other week when you had stood up for your mother. This time was different however. You weren't defending your mother but rather your intentions toward Kitty. You shrug one shoulder. "Because..." Why did you care? Because of the notes that she sent? Or the rose you were positive she had given to you? Or perhaps the weird fluttering in your stomach you often felt around her? "I care because I just do. I don't think I need a reason for it."

Kitty scoffed in what you could only read as disbelief. "Really? That's.. your reasoning? Pathetic. Just go, Tater Tot. I don't need your help.. especially if that's how you do it." She shrugged herself out from under the touch you had left lingering on her shoulder.

You frowned, beginning to fiddle with your fingers, a habit of nerves you had never gotten over. "I'm sorry. I'm not exactly an expert on helping others out.. but I can listen." You motion for her to sit back down on the desk. "I can sit and listen to everything you have to say.. I can't promise I'll give earth shattering advice back, but I know sometimes people just need someone else to listen to them."

Kitty sighed lightly, playing with the ends of her ponytail that had once been curled to perfection. She had surprisingly listened to you and sat back down on the desk. "...Thanks for the offer."

You strain to hear what she says because you swear it sounds like 'thanks'. You cup your ear, leaning toward Kitty. "What was that?.." You were biting back the smile, glad to have found some route to playfully tease the cheerleader as opposed to making her more upset.

There was an unexpected giggle from Kitty equipped with her infamous eye roll. "I said thank you. Weirdo."

"I appreciate the nicknames but.. you can just call me Marley, you know.. that is my name." You patted yourself on your back mentally for saying that.

Kitty rose an eyebrow at you, possibly judging your random burst of courage. "Fine.. Marley it is." There was a pause where you could tell Kitty wanted to say something else but couldn't seem to bring herself to just say it.

"So.. uh, I guess I'll be going then.. class and everything. But.. you know where to find me if you want to actually.. talk about anything." You nodded, waving slightly before heading toward the door. You started walking slowly, stalling for some weird reason, like you were waiting for Kitty to stop you or something. You were counting down in your head, dragging your feet uncharacteristically. Just a few seconds more and it would be incredibly obvious you were hoping to be stopped.

"M-marley?"

Finally. Took her long enough. You take your own time to glance over your shoulder. "Yeah?"

"You draw cute cats."

You scrunch your eyebrows, a bit confused. Cute cats? When did you dr- oh! That last note you sent her. Your cheeks heat up as you finally understand the compliment. "T-thanks.. I like to doodle sometimes." You shift your weight between your feet. "And thank you.. for the rose." You glanced up, noting Kitty's colored cheeks. So you had been right to assume the rose from her.

"I.. I don't know what you're talking about." You had your mouth open to counter that, remind her of the gorgeous flower sitting at your house when she waved her hand to shush you. "Just.. don't mention it. Ever. Understand?"

You nod slowly. "Understood." Stupid social hierarchy. Though maybe it was more than that and Kitty didn't want you thinking there was more behind the rose than friendship. Ha. That was funny. Kitty liking /you/. It'd be funnier though if you liked her back. Good thing you didn't. You totally didn't. At all, whatsoever. Jake. Yum. Mhmm. You tell yourself to shut up mentally.

"Shit. I have to go. Practice." Kitty slid off the desk a bit less graceful than she normally was. Somehow she had tripped over her own foot, a gentle cry leaving her lips out of surprise.

You acted on instinct, reaching out to grab Kitty. You had managed to save her, your grip surprisingly strong. You let your hand slide from her wrist down to wrap your arm around her slender waist in order to pull her back up. "Welp. Guess you don't have cat-like reflexes like I thought." You chuckled at your lame joke, still thinking you were rather clever for that.

"Whatever.. again, don't you dare mention this."

You roll your eyes this time. "Of course not, Kitty." You glanced down at her but you immediately regretted it. This was the closest you had ever been to her before. Heck this was the closest you had been to anyone before. It was like time was frozen with Kitty in your arms and you began to notice everything. You saw the freckles she tried so hard hiding with foundation. You noticed the pink tint to her lips thanks to a lipgloss that smelled a lot like watermelon. Her hair wasn't just the blonde you had begun to associate with her. There were strands of red in it, maybe her mother was a redhead. You didn't know but you were starting to enjoy these details of Kitty particularly her eyes. You had noticed them before, the hazel orbs with golden flecks, but you missed so much to them. They weren't filled with expected hate but curiosity and fear and strength. Her eyes were immersing you into a world you found overwhelming with repressed emotion and it was beginning to scare you.

You felt a sudden shove. "Get.. get off of me. Right now."

You let her go, holding your hands to your side, gripping the hem of your shirt. "S-sorr-"

"No. Just. Don't." Kitty seemed flustered, she was waving her hands as if she was trying to push away a thought or something. "Stay away from me, Tuesday Special. I fucking mean it." Her words would have lacked any back to it if she hadn't hissed at you with disgust before shoving you out of the way once more then storming out of the classroom.

You didn't know why you felt so sick to your stomach or why your chest held such a great pain. You stared at the ground, feeling ashamed. Why did Kitty shove you away like that? You thought you were making some sort of progress into some weird friendship you thought was possible. You guessed you were wrong. You just didn't get it. One minute you two were teasing each other, completely all smiles then the next, Kitty was pushing you away like you had some sort of disease. Despite the pain and developing nausea, your mind went back to when you had begun to realize just how pretty Kitty was. You kind of enjoyed her closeness (which was a bit odd) and you really liked being able to see what was beneath the bitch mask she put up.

You sighed, running a tired hand through your hair as you slumped down onto the ground. You wanted to follow Kitty again, demand an explanation but you kept seeing the way she glared at you, cringed at the constant hiss of words you heard in your head. She hated you and you didn't know why. You didn't even know why you cared so much or why your heart and mind were reacting so strongly to her actions. All you knew was that you wanted to be alone for awhile, that you wanted to think about nothing that dealt with Kitty yet each time you closed your eyes to be rid of her, you still saw those hazel spheres staring right back at you.

**Author's Note: So how did you guys like that? It's a bit of a stretch, I think of a scene but overall, I really think the story's starting to come together lol Obviously, I adore feedback (I'm so shocked I even got to 80 comments on this story, thanks guys!) and I do my best to take in consideration anything you guys offer as commentary. So thanks again! I hope everyone had a great Christmas and is anticipating the start of a fantastic new year! Oh, and I was contemplating doing a short Karley holiday fic (maybe a New Year's related one since I kind of missed Christmas lol). Would you guys be interested in reading that? It'd be like a random AU bonus chapter basically. Just let me know in the reviews (: Thanks!**

**Do vd Graaf: Yeah, nothing ever really seems to go right for Marley lol I should change that**

**DAgron01: I agree completely. She should learn that she has friends, but being alone for so long, it's hard to just trust people to be there for you. Sorry, there wasn't actual any notes in this chapter BUT they spoke about the notes if that was a decent exchange lol (:**

**Semixtina: I think you're one of the most excited for the notes and I feel terrible I didn't include one this chapter. But there will be more notes in the future and more comforting!Kitty, promise! (: Hope you enjoyed this chapter lol**

**bribedherwithdots: Thank you! I'm such a weirdo about posting chapters, I'm always afraid y'all will hate them. But thank you, I'm glad you enjoyed that one and hopefully, you'll continue to enjoy them!**

**juliles: Thank you! Was this enough of them together? lol I stepped it up a notch so it was in person instead of notes lol**

**AmandaMarondsky: Thank you so much!**

**Angi: Thank you! I hope I didn't disappoint this time around lol**

**Pokemon Master Razit: Thanks (:**

**seyan: You should start to love this couple!**

**Hazelstar: Wow, that's a mind blowing compliment! I definitely don't think I have that amount of talent but I really appreciate it that you think so! I tried showing it a little bit that she's starting to freak out, but I don't think you'll actually see a full on panic about it until she's not in denial about what she's feelings towards Kitty. She's trying to play it off as fascination or friendship intrigue if that makes sense.**

**FuckThisShitImmaPanda: Love your screenname thing by the way lol Also, thank you!**

**Whammy: Sorry it took me so long to update, hope it was worth the wait!**

**nandafe001: Thank you so much! I really appreciate this! I'm so proud that I managed to make you a Karley shipper!**

**MK: Oh no! Not Karley diabetes lol It'll only get worse the more chapters I write lol and sorry! I will try my hardest to update quicker.**

**theagonyofantigone: Thank you! (:**

**kl: I won't lie, I partially wrote this story because the Brittana section was a bit slow lol But thank you! I'm glad I haven't disappointed you. Hope you keep reading!**

**Alice Loves Rock Music: Thanks!**

**brittanablades: I probably disappointed you with the lack of notes but there'll be more notes soon! And thank you! So glad she finally got a last name before I gave her some really crappy one lol**

**physcob2002: Will try!**

**Guest: I'm sorry it took so long but here's the update!**

**Pridemunkeyz: Thanks for reading. It seems random, yes but Marley was trying to get more involved in social aspects of school so she could get more friends and become a part of something solid. Hopefully, it wasn't too random for you but thanks for the reviews!**

**ClosingTheGoddamnDoor: Thank you for loving this! It makes me so happy that people are really getting invested in this story lol**

**wankyface: I'm trying to update as soon as possible, I promise!**

**marie6498: Thank you!**

**Guest: All updated for you, guest!**

**Waterclaw12: Thank you for letting me know her last name! I agree, they are the new Faberry and hopefully, I made Kitty's makeup seem a tad less scary in description lol**

**I'm-So-Tape: Yes, come to the Karley side, we have cuddles and mirror Faberry in a new way lol Just always love Karley!**

**asasin8444: Thank you so much! I totally agree, there should be so many more Karley fics written!**

**Guest: Thanks, guest! I will keep updating until this story is finished!**

**Setmefree5622: Updated for you!**

**HeyaBrittana95: Yay! You must love them and adore them because Karley is precious always lol**

**ddfans: Glad you're enjoying this! Hope you continue to stick around!**


	6. The Audition

**Author's Note: Geez.. it has been awhile. Like.. a very, very long time and I am awfully sorry! A lot has been going on in my personal life, particularly school and dating, but since both of those are over and I've finally been able to just have muse enough to write something.. I'm updating this lol I'm sorry for the wait! I promise, no matter how much time is in between chapters, I will keep updating until I figure out an ending. Also, thank you guys ever so much for sticking to this story even though Glee's fourth season is over already. I love you guys and I cannot believe I got over 100 reviews! That seriously means the world to me. I never thought this fic would be read by so many people and I honestly love hearing all of your feedback! It keeps me wanting to write for you guys! If it makes it any better, I'm pretty sure this is the longest chapter I've written thus far.. a lot was taken straight from the episode but don't be mad, I was getting back into the hang of writing this story. As always, thank you and please feel free to review/comment!**

The school musical was coming up and that was your only focus these days. You had to get the part of Sandy, you just had to. It was one of those things where you would wish so hard that your brain hurt, but it also made your stomach flip in anxiety. You weren't positive you were born to be center stage, but this was your chance to prove yourself wrong, to prove everyone wrong. No one loved Grease more than you. A love story between two characters that were from different worlds and managing to make it work by the end? Your heart went out to those kinds of stories, they gave you hope that maybe, just maybe you'd find your very own Danny Zuko. Now how fantastic would that be? A cocky attitude with the sweetest smile, a caring heart hidden beneath a steely reputation. Oh, you could just smell her perfume now. The faint aroma of summer breezes and watermelon lipgloss...

Your eyes snap open. Okay. You were definitely just picturing a certain Cheerio as your Danny Zuko. You rubbed at your eyes, shaking your head as you exited the bathroom stall and went straight to the sinks. This was ridiculous. Kitty as your knight in leathered armor? You definitely needed to stop eating your mother's meatballs before bed, they apparently gave you very, very strange daydreams. You turned the faucet on, cupping your hands beneath the stream then pressing the cool water to your face. Maybe now you'd wake up and stop thinking such foolish things. You grabbed a few paper towels, drying off your face then your hands when the bathroom door opened.

"Hey, this is the girls' bathroom."

Unique ..Wade gave you a look before replying simply, "I sit when I pee."

You kept your mouth shut, deciding to turn back to the mirrors. You were not going to comment on that, if he thought that was a reason to use the girls' bathroom then by all means. You leaned forward, putting yourself a bit closer to the mirror as you applied some lip balm. "So how psyched are you for the Grease auditions?" That was a subject you two could speak about mutually without any awkwardness. "I want Sandy soo bad." Could he hear the desperation in your voice? Probably. You just really wanted that part.

"I'm not auditioning." He didn't look at you, continuing on with his own facial touch-ups.

"What?.. Why not?" He had to audition, he just had to! Wade was one of, if not the, best singer they had in Glee club. You personally favored his voice over Blaine's and he had such a nicer tone than you could ever have. You were pretty disheartened at the news. Maybe you could try and encourage him to change his mind, "You know you could get a part."

"I don't want a part, I want the part. Rizzo."

Oh. That wasn't what you expected. Then again, he always did seem so much more comfortable as Unique so.. really, it made complete sense.

"They're not going to give me the part though.. me dressing as Unique is just a joke to them. They don't understand why I do it.. how happy it makes me. And I'd destroy the part of Rizzo like fat kids destroy chocolate cake."

You smiled at that because he was right. He'd be a great Rizzo, he definitely had the right amount of attitude. You finished drying off your hands before placing one on his shoulder. "Look, you should definitely go try out as Rizzo. Artie and the guys might not completely understand why you do it.. but they know how amazing you are as Unique and so they should know how phenomenal you'll be at playing Rizzo. What do you say?.." You gave him a reassuring smile because you were right. Though the school musical wasn't necessarily a glee club production, it involved members of the glee club which meant acceptance and taking risks against normalities.

Wade glanced at you, returning the smile though it was small and still not completely sure, it was enough for you. You grabbed his hand in excitement, tugging him toward the auditorium to discuss what song you two should audition with. You weren't about to let him audition by himself when he looked like he could use the support. Plus, duets were always so much fun.

You were on a winning streak. Your duet with Wade.. Unique went fantastic. You could tell from the fist pumps that you two had done better than just okay. It was hard to tell what they were saying but there was no way it could be bad things with such wide grins on their faces. Surely both of you would get the parts you desired so you made sure to quickly say you wanted to play Sandy before giving Unique another reassuring touch as she told them she wanted to play Rizzo.

You were on cloud nine honestly. The only way the day could get better was if you spoke to a particular Cheerio with a fluctuating attitude problem (you were trying to forget what had transpired between the two of you a few days prior. You smiled at the thought, already digging in your locker for a pen and some paper. You knew you weren't allowed to just walk up to her and talk so you were going to do it the only way you knew would get through to her. By note. You frowned, moving your textbooks around, trying to find where your notebook went when a voice interrupted your searching.

"Hi, I'm uh.. Ryder Lynn.."

Ohmygod. Ryden Lynn was at your locker, talking to you, and was smiling. Today was really your lucky day. Ryder was definitely good looking, played for the football team and did those cute dances, and he had a really nice smile. You grin a bit too giddily for your own liking, "I-I know. I saw you at the football game on Saturday, your end zone dances are awesome." You were never that coordinated, which you learned extended to dancing with microphone stands as well, but you wished you had his fluidity. They were silly dances but he did them so easily and so carefree, you couldn't help but wonder if maybe he'd teach you a few things. You started to blush, realizing how much of a fan girl you were sounding like in your head. You smiled before finally introducing yourself, "I'm Marley."

"I know." He knew your name? "Your uh your mom rules. She always sneaks me extra meatballs on Spaghetti Day." Wait. Just wait one minute. He knew your name AND he actually liked your mom?

"Really? Wow, she must really like you..." You were definitely going to have a talk with your mother later on about her kindness towards Ryder. Not that there was anything wrong with it, but you thought she would've mentioned being sweet to someone that wasn't another lunch lady.

"Finn Hudson said you were most likely going to play Sandy in the school play and I thought if we were going to be working together, I should say hi." He grinned down at you.

Seriously. Best day ever. Ryder basically just said you got the part you wanted in the play and one of the cutest football players was still talking to you, not throwing a slushie in your face, and was on pretty good terms with your mom. You felt your heart melted a little bit. Not that you'd consider dating Ryder, that was a bit outrageous, you just met him for one. Also, you couldn't just start having a crush on someone because they liked your mom.. but couldn't you? You so badly wanted to.

"I.. I think they want me to play Danny."

Your grin got wider if possible. How fantastic would that be? You, Marley Rose, playing alongside the Ryder Lynn as Danny and Sandy in Grease. You couldn't be happier about this. "Really? That's great! You must sing really well... I can't wait to hear you perform!"

He smiled a bit sheepishly at your comment, shrugging one shoulder. "I guess I was all right.. maybe ..we could sing together sometime? You know, get a feel for how we'll work together."

You couldn't agree fast enough. "Yes! Yes.. that'd be wonderful. Maybe later this week in the glee club room?" You smiled, waiting to see if the arrangement would work for him.

"Hey, Ryder." Your heart shot into your throat at her voice. "Hey, Mona."

You winced a little, hating these stupid games. You turn toward her, binder pressed to your chest as protection. "It's Marley." You looked into Kitty's eyes, pleading with her to just be nice to you.. just this once.

She smirked, "Oh right, Marley.. like the dead dog movie." Her eyes went back to Ryder. "I heard you killed your Grease audition.. and I know you're excited at the prospect at playing because everyone knows poor people don't have many opportunities to actually enjoy anything. Which is why it's going to be such a bummer when I take the part from you."

Your shoulders fell and so did your gaze. The mean stuff about you being poor you could handle even if it stung a little but Kitty couldn't take that part from you. "You're auditioning?" Since when was that a thing? She knew how badly you wanted that part, everyone did.

"I am. By the way, Ryder, you should know about this one's gene pool. She's only got a month or two before she starts ballooning to her natural weight of 5,000 pounds and starts writing her memoir, Fifty Shades of Gravy."

You tightened your grip on your binder then. Your insecurities were being jostled with every syllable Kitty spat at you. It was easy enough defending your mom of her weight because a lot of people did it and you had grown accustomed to sticking up for her. But you never were comfortable in your own skin and despite being medically the right weight for your height, you had already contemplated losing a couple of pounds.. just to tone up, you know? It'd be complete denial if you didn't acknowledge the fact that Kitty had pinched a nerve, particularly your fear of being overweight. It was all complicated because you loved your mother to death and yes, you knew her weight was an issue but your mother was happy and that's all you wanted. But in your case, gaining a lot of weight frightened you because you weren't sure you'd have the same amount of strength as your mom did to overcome whatever bullying would occur. You could barely handle slushies in the face. But that's why you were always pretty cautious of what you ate.. just in case.

"Wow, you're kind of a bitch." Thanks, Ryder. You weren't sure if you said that in your head sarcastically or truthfully. You weren't normally okay with cursing but.. Kitty was being a bit over the top with her rudeness. "What'd she ever do to you?"

"Besides trying to steal away my three-nippled ex-boyfriend, you cast yourself as the poor little, simply adorkable nice girl, but I know and you know and sweet baby Jesus in the manger knows what you really are.. a scheming little kiss ass."

If she said more, you didn't catch it because you were walking away (like you always did), no jogging away. Your heart was about to burst from how much pain it was trying to hold in. Was she doing this to punish you from the other day? All you had tried to do was help! Honestly. You hadn't done anything but help her. Why? Why, Kitty, why? She could have done anything else.. told you to never write her again or at least, just tell you to stay away from Jake. You thought she'd be better than this, but you realized you really needed to stop looking for the best in people.

You didn't bother going to the bathroom, you didn't want her to find you there since it had started to become your sanctuary. Anyways, you weren't sure you'd make it through another emotional rollercoaster ride just because she found it convenient. Instead, you headed toward the auditorium to hide out until the rest of the auditions happened ...when Kitty would audition and take Sandy from your poor, chubby hands. You couldn't even smile at how Kitty called you adorkable, every last rude truth she told had beaten you down and stripped you of your good day.

You stood on the sidelines, watching Kitty and Jake do their duet, blowing you away. Their dance moves were outstanding and far more choreographed than what you had done with Unique. Kitty's voice sounded lovely.. so lovely and on pitch. You were so certain you had this part in the bag but she was going to strip it right from underneath you. You watched the whole thing, mindlessly clapping when they finished all sweaty and full of smiles.

You found a seat off to the side, hidden pretty well in darkness and several rows behind Finn and Artie. You didn't have the energy to go anywhere else and you'd much rather watch the other auditions to take your mind off of not being Sandy. You were so focused on who was performing that you hadn't seen someone take the seat next to you. It was only a gentle clearing of the throat that brought you out of your headspace and back into the auditorium.

"What are you doing here?.."

She shrugged a shoulder, keeping quiet as she kept her gaze on the stage. This bothered you because A. she tore you apart with just mere words and B. she had no right to sit next to you when she wanted to steal one of the few things you ever wanted in life. That may be selfish, but you were beginning to understand that dreams aren't just handed to you.

You leaned forward, hand gripping the seat in front of you to give you leverage as you pulled yourself up. "I'm.. I'm not going to just sit here next to you if you do-"

"I'm sorry."

You blinked, sitting back down promptly. "You are?.."

"Yeah. I'm .. sorry." It looked like it gave her physical pain to repeat it. "I knew..I know how badly you wanted that part and I uh.. I just had to take it. or try to."

"But why? Why go through all that effort?" Your voice became really small sounding, "Did you just want to hurt me?"

"W-what? No! No... Marley, I... I can't explain it to you. You.. you wouldn't understand. I'm sorry about today.. and the other day, I got carried away.. I shouldn't have been so cruel." She surprisingly reached over to brush her fingers along the back of your hand. You guessed it was meant to be comforting, it only sent shivers down your spine.

"But you were. You.. break me down every chance you get.. then you.. you build me back up again with your notes and.. it hurts so much." Why were you even having this conversation? For all you knew, she was recording this and was going to go snicker to Jake about how pathetic and easy broken you are.

"I can't change that, okay? I hurt you, I get it. I don't do this nice thing and you should know that by now. I just wanted to say sorry.. good luck on the part and.. here." The fingers that had been continuing to graze the back of your hand grabbed for the same hand, flipping your hand so it was palm up and placed a folded bit of paper in it. Kitty then stood up and left without another word.

So you two were going to continue playing some weird game with each other. She hurts you then makes you feel better with a stupid note. Whatever she wrote wasn't going to change your mind, you were done with her.

But auditions were still going on and you didn't have anything better to do... you sighed as you unfolded the note.

'You'd make the perfect Sandy. Best of luck.' And of course, she curved the last letter into a heart like she always did and you couldn't stop the smile creeping up on your lips. It was a small little doodle, a dancing tater tot. Was it weird that you were perfectly okay with her calling you Tater Tot the other day? Because now it seemed.. cute and affectionate instead of cruel and torturous. You traced her letters with your thumb, not sure what to do with Kitty Wilde. Would you two ever just become friends and cut the crap? You'd greatly prefer just exchanging notes and doodles with smiles than crying and receiving a note as some weird reward.

Regardless, her wishes of luck must have done the trick. Despite having a callback and battling it out with Kitty and Jake with the handjive, you were cast as Sandy. And Kitty got some role you weren't entirely too sure of, but you wanted so badly to wrap your arms around her neck and hug her tightly. You wanted to thank her for the good luck wish and let her know that she drew cute things too, but you resisted. Instead, you hugged Unique, told her how proud you were of her for managing to snag the role she was born to play.

You only smiled as the rest of the glee club congratulated you. It was nice to be recognized for good work. You shrugged on the jacket Kitty had given you, habitually taking a whiff of the collar before tugging your backpack back on. You managed to get Ryder, your Danny Zuko, to walk with you to the cafeteria to tell your mom the good news and when you happened to glance over your shoulder, you saw Kitty standing alone, arms folded across her chest but she was staring directly back at you with a small smile on her lips. You returned the smile easily enough before turning back to Ryder, hopping into whatever conversation he had started while you had been daydreaming.

Maybe this friendship with Kitty just had to take time and patience. You both had to change and learn compromise. Even though you were interested in the conversation you were having, your mind was drifting off to how exactly you could prove to Kitty you were worth the companionship.

**Author's Note: I know this doesn't completely make up for the fact that I took ages to update but I hope it helps a little. Also, I really need to stop suggesting one-shot ideas because I really have the intention to write them.. but then I never have time lol Maybe now that I have a bit more free time, I can start another story of just one-shots lol We'll see! I always read every comment and take your opinions into consideration so please don't be afraid to suggest something or correct me if I'm wrong in some aspect (like the overall canon storyline or I misspell something). I don't have a Beta so it's all me and I am not perfect! Anyways, thanks again for all of your support!**

**YouTellMe: Thank you, first off! Secondly, them working things out might not necessarily be the best thing right now lol**

**asasin8444: Thanks for following the story! The cute bit is always the best but the cute stuff will be even cuter and more heartfelt when there's more heartbreak lol**

**inlovewithdarrenxcriss6: I'm glad you're enjoying it! The world may never know why she stormed out ... lol just kidding! It shall be revealed all in good time!**

**ErrMerrGerrd: Love your sn lol Sorry it took so long for another update3**

**Bleach-Glee-Lover: It's what kitties do best lol see what I did there?.. Sorry, that was lame lol**

**Semixtina: You are always my most enthusiastic reader! I LOVE reading your reactions! I'm honestly incredibly sorry for how long I take to update things. Since the last chapter, I kept thinking how much you probably hate me for taking so long lol Also, they should definitely bang ... it could always happen (: I've just completely disappointed you, haven't I? lol No one shot or anything. I'm just the worst lol**

**Whammy: Thanks for sticking around! Hopefully, you're still as excited to see this continued!**

**Livlovesstuff: Aww, thank you! I hope I didn't disappoint!**

**TheLastOfThem: Oh, wow! Thank you so much. I honestly try to write the best I can. I'm glad you enjoy the dynamics I've created (or exaggerated from the show, whichever lol). (:**

**Faberittanalover21: Thank you!**

**D-Wadegurl: I greatly appreciate you reviewing! Though I hope you didn't feel obligated to. I honestly don't like stories where the romance happens too fast and doesn't have the time to develop like you said. In my head, their back and forthness seems a bit monotonous but it's pretty realistic especially in the denial stage and it's always great to see characters work themselves out of a tangle and into something more. Thank you so much for your kind words! I definitely used notes instead of texts for that very reason, taking the time to handwrite out a note comes off way more romantic than shooting a quick text. Also, I'll have to go check out your story, I bet it's amazing! Thanks again for reviewing! (:**

**K: I'm sorry I didn't update soon enough for you! I hope you're still reading this story too and I did bring in Ryder! In time, the kissing and ogling and jealousy will happen soon. I just need to time it perfectly! Thank you for the suggestions!**

**Musicmakesmehigh: I just snorted really loudly reading your comment! That's the best image of someone reading a fic ever! lol**

**EmoChildP: I definitely took my time updating, but it wasn't because I wanted you sad and depressed, honestly! I hope this update made you a little bit happier3**

**Secretgirl12: Thank you! Don't worry, I plan on writing a lot more!**

**A'sTodayPartiesTomorrow: Aww thanks so much! I haven't watched past this episode so it kind of sucks to hear they don't even really hint at them being together ): Maybe next season is our season!**

**XxStormChaserxX: I know it was awhile before updating but don't worry, I really am trying to not be one of those authors who don't update in five years. I just had an extremely hectic semester at college, but thank you for hoping all is well! To answer your question, I have something in mind that will deal with Marley's eating disorder which can be kind of seen in this chapter. I've been contemplating switching perspectives to deal with those episodes when I get here.. but I haven't decided yet. I definitely have a plan though (: Also, thanks for being my 100th reviewer!**

**andievitug: Sorry! You'll get closure, no worries!**


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